Driver empowered by EV exploits

A driver and her electric vehicle (EV) were both feeling the heat during an “intense” final leg to end a 4,000km trip around New Zealand.

Sophie Tyler embarked on her “Roadie with Evie” on November 9 and travelled from Hamilton to Invercargill and back again.

Driving a Nissan eNV200, her route was plotted so she could stop at a charging station about every 100km.

The graduate completed her adventure by making the journey from Levin to Hamilton in a single day.

Tyler had previously only spent about three hours on the road each day but was keen to see if the EV could handle a longer stretch.

She left Levin at 7am on December 4 and arrived home at 8pm after stopping at six charging stations. The recommended maximum number of super charges in a day is usually four.

“It’s a trip that could normally be completed in six hours in a petrol car, so it was pretty intense and I started having trouble with the car overheating,” explains Tyler.

“I did three charge stops on the way to Turangi and then the warning light came on that it was overheating, which can happen when you do too many super charges.

“I waited in Turangi for two hours for the battery to cool down and from there headed to Drive EV in Taupo to return some power cords they had lent to me. 

“They did a diagnosis of the battery and said while it wasn’t good, I should be okay as long as the warning light didn’t come on again.

“After that it was a slow journey from Taupo to Hamilton and I was trying to not to accelerate too much and keep the battery cool. I made sure I stopped at every charge stop for a while rather than trying to rush along.

“It was a stressful ride home but ultimately it was all good fun. I think Evie had had enough by then but I was curious and wanting to see if the car could do it.”

Learning experience

Tyler chose to do her road trip in an EV, which she had never driven before, after plans to travel to Japan were foiled by the Covid-19 pandemic.

She couch-surfed her way around the country, mostly staying with members of the EV community, and documented her journey on social media. Her aim was to prove EVs are as suitable for big road trips as car with internal combustion engines (ICEs).

Tyler’s adventure was made possible with support from Dave Boot, owner of EV City in Christchurch, and Richard Heaps, founder of the Power Trip app, which provides trip-planning tools especially for EV drivers 

She admits to knowing little about EVs at the start of her experience but considers herself a fan of such technology after 4,000km and meeting enthusiasts along the way.

“The adventure might be over but my EV journey is far from it. I have learnt so much about electric cars and would consider myself converted,” she says.

“I’ve learnt a lot in the past few weeks, not only my EV knowledge but also my ability to care and think about the environment.

“Lots of EV enthusiasts I stayed with or met during my journey embrace things such as solar power, live clean and green lifestyles and talked about stuff I wasn’t aware of.

“My awareness of the environment has changed and these people believe EVs are going to be a big part in solving some of our environmental problems.”

Apps guide the way

Tyler is now back to driving her Volkswagen Golf but says she would ultimately like an EV, although the current prices remain a barrier.

“I would love to get an EV but I’ve only just graduated and would probably need a bit more money,” she explains. 

“The more people that get interested in EVs the cheaper they will get and I’m now trying to convince my Mum to get one.”

She also advises anyone planning a trip like hers to learn a bit about EVs before hitting the road and to make use of apps to safely navigate between charging stations. 

“While the number of charging stations has apparently increased a lot recently, I still think we need more of them or cars with longer ranges,” notes Tyler.

“I’d recommend using the apps out there, such as Power Trip, PlugShare, ChargeNet and Google Maps, to understand where all the chargers are and you can plot your course.

“I spent about 20 minutes planning my journey and the apps make it easier for you to know where you’re going and hopefully eliminates some panicky situations.

“I loved my Roadie with Evie and enjoyed taking the time to stop at different places to charge. I did not feel I was in a rush and it was all part of the adventure.”

To learn more about Tyler’s journey, visit www.facebook.com/RoadiewithEvie, or www.instagram.com/roadiewithevie.